Rogers' family dedicated to military

By Marsha Radulovich for the Daily News

Published 8:30 am, Monday, November 11, 2013

Military service for the five Rogers brothers of Sanford was a family affair that lasted for 16 years. Two brothers enlisted and three were drafted. One sibling was in the U.S. Air Force and four were in the U.S. Army.

According to Sherry Rogers Simons, her brothers William, James, M. Robert, Richard and R. Joseph and three sisters Kit Rogers Miller, Sue Rogers Sweebe and Patricia Rogers Ropp were born in Leelanau near Traverse City. One sibling, Ronald, passed away in 1943, three days after his birth at home. “My father was a bricklayer and we moved in 1954 so he could find work,” she said.

Simons said her oldest brother, William, enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 at the age of 17. Bill was stationed in Guam and Africa and was honorably discharged as an airman first class in 1956.

James was next to join the Army in 1958 when he was 19. Jim served stateside and was honorably discharged as a private first class in 1959.

M. Robert got drafted into the Army in 1964 when he was 21. He was deployed to Germany and was honorably discharged as a private first class in 1966.

In 1964, Richard received his draft notice from the Army at the age of 20. Dick saw action in Vietnam and was honorably discharged as a specialist in 1967.

R. Joseph got drafted into the Army in 1966 when he was 19. Joe served in Germany and was honorably discharged as a specialist in 1968.

When she was a little girl, Simons recalled “Mother walking around the house talking to herself. Actually she was praying for one of her sons.”

Simons, who is the youngest sibling, said when her parents watched the news while Dick was in Vietnam, “They were terrified.”

All of her brothers, according to Simons, escaped physical injury while in the armed forces and returned home in good health. Eventually each would find work, marry and raise a family.

When Joe came back in 1968, his parents threw a party to celebrate, Simons said, and a Midland Daily News story appeared about the five military men. Their father, Milford, died in 1973 and their mother, Laura, passed away in 1994.

According to Simons, M. Robert was killed in a 1995 car wreck in Midland and a sister, Pat, died in 2007. Seven siblings survive today, all retired. Six reside in Midland County and Simons lives in Isabella County. “All the kids in the family know about their own dads, but did not know about their uncles’ military service until recently,” Simons explained.